Separable fastener



Jan. 15, 1924. 1,480,746

N. DE BIE SEPARABLE FASTENER Filed Oct. 31. 1921 V lven/Zar:

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Patented Jan. 15, 1924.

UNITED STATES NAOMI I. DE BIE, OF WEST MEDFORD, MASSACHUSETTS.

SEPARABLE ras'rmmn.

Application filed October 31, 1921. Serial No. 511,682.

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, NAOMI I. DE BIE, a citizen of the United ;States of America, and resident of est Medford, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Separable Fasteners, of which the following is a specification.

This invention concerns separable fasteners and relates more particularly to that type of fastener comprising a fixed head member from which projects one or more prongs or pins having fabric penetrating extremities, and having a detachable guard member or auxiliary head associated with said pin or {pins rticles of womens'apparel, particularly such as are not readily laundered, are commonly provided with auxiliary parts, as for example separate collars, cuffs, shields, etc. which are made of linen or similarly easily washable material and which are fastened in a temporary manner to the garment proper, thus serving to protect the garment from becoming soiled or stained, while at the same time permitting the ready removal of such auxiliary parts for washing. The usual mode of attaching such parts is by basting or tacking them to the material of the garment. Such a method consumes time, both in attaching and removing the part, with attendant danger of injury to the garment in cutting the basting threads, while the employment of .fastenings such as buttons or snaps is also undesirable, as such fasteners not only interfere with the proper laundering of the detachable parts, but are frequently torn off entirely or damaged during the laundering process.

The object of the present invention is to provide simple and reliable means whereby adetachable collar or other. part may be securely and reliably attached to a garment without substantial damage thereto and in a manner permitting its ready removal when desired, while avoiding the emplo ment of fastening elements permanent y secured either to the detachable part.

To this end the invention may consist in providing a head member of any desired configuration, ornamental or otherwise, and of any proper material, such head member having a pair of projecting prongs or pin like members fixedly secured thereto and extending substantially parallel to one garment or to such it is contemplated that such head might be so constructed as to permit it to be snapped into retaining relation to the more or less resilient prongs by pressure only.

One mode of carrying the invention into effect is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation to greatly enlar ed scale, of the complete fastener device;

ig. 2 is a vertical diametral cross section of the device, the parts thereof being shown asseparated;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the fixed head of the fastener device, together with the prongs carried thereby;

Fig. 4 is a plan view guard or cap' member;

Fig. 5 is a diagra-mmatical view illustrating1 the mode of application ofthe fastener; an

Fig. 6 is a plan view of a modified form of guard cap.

The device comprises a fixed head member.

1 having projecting therefrom the substantially parallel prongs or in members 2, 3. The head 1 is preferably ormed from sheet metal as a shallow cup having an inturned flange 4 at its open end. The prongs 2, 3 are preferably formed by suitably bending a piece of spring wire 5, such wire being bent into substantially 8 form whereby to provide portions 6, 7, which are adapted to underlie the flange 5 at .diametrally opposite sides of the head 1. The prongs 2, 3

are arranged to extend substantially at right angles to the plane of the 8 portion of the wire, and such prongs near their outer extremities are provided with notches 7 in their remote sides. These notches define barb-like shoulders 8, and above such shoulof the detachable it ders the extremities of the prongs may be beveled as indicated at 9 formin inclined cam like elements extendin to t e fabric penetratin points. The s oulders 8 and the bevel-e surfaces 9 are preferably formed by pressing or forgin the metal, whereby the latter is caused to ow so that the shoulder 8 projects beyond the outer surface of the prong, such operation resulting in thinnin down the end of the prong as indicated in ig. 3. The prongs are somewhat. resilient, but in normal position are substantially parallel one with the other.

Cooperating with the prongs is a guard cap 10, such cap also being shaped from sheet metal and taking the form of a flat shallow cup having an inturned annular flange 11 at its open end. This flange is not of uniform width, being wider at the diametrally opposite points 12, 13 than at points 90 removed therefrom. The flange thus provided defines a broadly elliptical opening 14, and in the wider portions 12, 13 of the flange and at points adjacent to the ends of the minor axis of the elliptical opening, notches such as 15 are provided. Each of these notches has a substantially radial or abrupt side.16, and an opposite side 17 which is inclined and radually merges into the adjacent edge 0 the flange.

In the modified arrangement shown in Fig. 6 the guard cap is shown as provided with a flange 18 which is of uniform width throughout and thus defines a circular opening 19, such cap being applicable to the device shown in Fig. 3 without change in I I the latter.

In Fig. 5 the fastener device above de-' scribed is shown as employed in fastening a piece of fabric 20, which might for example be a detachable cufl', to a piece of heavier fabric 21 which for illustration may be considered as the edge of a sleeve. As herein shown the edge of the cuff is turned inwardly in the usual way, at-22 so that it lies upon the inner surface of the sleeve. head 1 lies against the outer surface of the sleeve, the prongs 2 and 3 passing through the material thereof and through the portion 22 0f the cuff. The head or guard member 10 is indicated as engaging the ends. of the prongs, thus serving to retain the portion 22 of the cufi closely against the inner surface of the sleeve 21. In applying guard cap to the prongs, advantage may be taken of the provision of oppositely disposed, short, knurled portions such as 10 on the outer edge of the guard cap, such knurled .portions indicating the positions for the thumb and finger in grasping the device.

When grasped between the thumb and finger, the guard cap is pressed over the ends of the prongs, the prongsentering the openmg 14 ad acent to the ends. of the major axis thereof. When properly entered with-' in the opening the guard cap is given a quarter turn to the left whereby the shoulders 8 of the prongs are caused to pass behind the widened portions of the flange 11, and the cap is thus held firmly against separation from the fixed head portion with its prongs. As the cap is rotated, the edges of the flange bear against the outer surfaces of the respective'prongs, thus bending the latter slightly toward each other until they enter the recesses 15, whereupon the prongs snap outwardly into such recesses and resume their normal parallel relationship thus securely retaining the head against accidental reverse rotation, while the prongs are preferably entered into the cap adjacent to the ends of the major axis of the opening in the flange, it is clear that by reason of the resiliency of the prongs andthe provision of the inclined surfaces 8. 9. it is possible by direct pressure to enter the prongs at any point in the circumference of the flange. The provision of the abrupt sides 16 for the recesses furnishes an additional safeguard for preventing accidental separation of the parts, it being necessary, in order to remove the cap, to turn it a quarter turn in the reverse direction.

By the employment of the device above described it is clear that a cuff, collar or other detachable portion of a garment may readily be secured to the garment without the employment of stitches or permanent fastening means, and that such detachable elements may be as readily removed for laundering. It is contemplated that the head 1 and the guard cap 10 may be constructed in other ways than herein shown and of any desired material, either ornamental or otherwise, and that while as herein shown in Fig. 5, the head 1 is concealed by the material of the cuff such head, if of properly ornamental character, might be arranged to appear on the outer surface of the cufl", that is to say, the prongs might be, passed through the material of the cuff before being passed through that of the the cap is applied simply by pressing it over the sharpened ends of the prongs which are thereby forced toward one another sufficiently to permit the notches 7 to snap into engagement with the edges of the flange 18. For removing this cap it is then necessary to press the prongs slightly toward each other, whereupon the cap may be withdrawn without'difliculty. In using the latter device no rotation of the same is necessary in applyin or removing the same.

11 either arrangement the prongs are disposed in substantially parallel relationship both while being inserted through the material of the garment and also after the application of the cap so that there is no tendency to tear, strain or wrinkle the material of. the arment' at the point of application of the fastener.

Having thus described the invention and themode of use thereof, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A device of the class described comprising a, head member, a pair of resilient substantially parallel prongs fixedly secured thereto, said prongs being provided respectively with oppositely directed outstanding shoulders. and having inclined cam like surfaces leading from said Shoulders to their respective, free extremities, and a shallow open cap-like guard member having inturned flange means defining a central broadly elliptical opening and engageable with said shoulders, the prongs substantially maintaining their parallel relationship after application of the cap. v

2. AL fastener device having a flat, axially thin circular head provided with an integral inturned peripheral flange, a pair ofnotched' parallel fabric penetrating prongs constituting the ends of an S shaped resilient wire disposed within the head and retained in place by the peripheral flange of the latter, and a guard cooperable therewith, said guard comprising a flat shallow'circular cap provided with an inturned integral peripheral'flange knurled uponits exterior surface, said flange being so constructed and arranged as to define a broadly elliptical opening into the cap.

3. A fastener device comprising a head having normally parallel resilient prongsv projecting therefrom, said prongs having sharpened extremities and being provided with notches in their opposite sides so constructed and arranged as' to provide outstanding barb-like' shoulders, and a substantially flat open. hollow guard cap provided with a knurled U edge portion and having means cooperable with said shoulders and sis multaneously movable into holding relationship with both of said shoulders by a partial rotation of said cap, said prongs maintaining a substantially parallel relationship after the application of the cap.

4:. A fastener device of the class described.

comprisinga head having resilient prongs v projecting therefrom, and fixedly secured v thereto, a shallow, substantially flat/guard edge, one side of said recess bein cap provided with means interengageable with elements of said prongs upon a partial relative rotation of said head and cap, whereby to retain the cap in position, the resiland the recessesin the flange being of such depths as to permit the prongs to assume a.

substantially parallel relationship afterap plication of the cap. I

6. A guard device for use with a fastener having a. pair of notched prongs, such dean annuvice comprising a member havi lar flange defining'a substantially elliptical opening, said flange having ,a recess in its substantially radial, and the opposite si e thereof being inclined and gradually merging into the adjacent edge portion of the flange.

' 7. A-detachable fastener comprising a cir- 'cular head having a. pairof resilient, prongs fixedly secured thereto and, extending substantially parallel one to the other, said prongs havingsharpene'd and notched'extremities, and a hollow guard cap of substantially circular form having an inwardly directed flange definingan elliptical opening for the-reception ofsaid prongs, said flange having recesses in itsedge adjacent to the ends of the minor axis ofs'aid opening, one

side oi -each recess being substantially radial and the opposite side being inclined, said cooperating 'with said prongs for preventing accidental relative. rotation of sa-id head and cap. 4

Signed by me at. Boston,

NAOMI r. peein Massachusetts this 27th day of October 192l. 

